The Riverview Gardens School District is seeking input from families as school officials weigh whether to close down one of its nine elementary schools later this year.
A demographic study commissioned by the school board during the 2023-24 school year found that the district is projected to lose anywhere from 800 to 1,000 students over the next decade. During a presentation to the board in October, representatives from Demographic Analytics Advisors and Cordogan Clark said low childbirth rates in the region, along with families moving in and out of the school district, are leading to low student enrollment.
According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, just over 4,900 students enrolled in K-12 in the district and about 200 in preschool.
During an open house Wednesday night at Central Middle School in North County, Superintendent Tanya Patton called on families and community members to provide feedback on recommendations to consolidate school buildings in the district.
“We are going to do what's best for all of our babies,” Patton said. “We will try to make it a gradual change.”
Here are the recommendations:
- Close the elementary school with the smallest enrollment and send students to one elementary school.
- Close the elementary school with the smallest enrollment and send students to several elementary schools.
- Close the elementary school that requires the most upgrades/repairs and send students to several elementary schools.
- Realign district boundaries to equalize attendance boundaries.
- Along with realigning boundaries, consider KG-2nd and 3rd-5th school buildings to allow academic focus at each level to prepare students for middle school. This option would remove four KG-2nd schools from consideration as it relates to full accreditation.
- Maintain current schools and boundaries.
Lewis and Clark Elementary School has the lowest enrollment in the district, with about 140 students in the 2024-25 school year. However, Patton emphasized that no decisions have been made yet.
She will take her recommendation to the school board in May. The board, which has an election in April, will have to decide whether a school will have to close.
The school consolidation plan would not go into effect until the 2026-27 school year.
Families, teachers and administrators can fill out surveys to provide feedback on the recommendations.
There are also two open houses next month to discuss the options at the following locations:
- 4-6 p.m. Feb. 3 at Danforth Elementary
- 4-6 p.m. Feb. 18 at Glasgow Elementary
